VANDERSON - Player Analysis
Grêmio’s academy is one of the best in the continent and keeps developing great talents. Although recently the standouts have been mostly midfielders and wingers, such as Arthur and Everton, the brightest prospect to reach the first team in the last year is a right back, meet Vanderson de Oliveira Campos.
Making his debut just last december, he has played only twelve games so far, including the Copa do Brasil final and two Copa Libertadores matches. He is already attracting wide attention and has cemented his place in the starting eleven for the season ahead. The 19 year-old, who has a few caps for the U20 national team, is another attacking brazilian full back, who thrives in the final third. So how does he play and what makes him great?
What makes Vanderson stand out is his offensive contribution, providing great threat from the right flank. In Grêmio’s stablished 4–2–3–1 he has been mostly partnered by wingers who tend to drift inside, namely Alisson and the left-footed Gui Azevedo, giving him the space to operate. And that’s a context in which he thrives, as opposed to the hitherto starting right back, Victor Ferraz, who participates more actively in the build up, appearing in central areas but not overlapping so frequently. Vanderson so far averages 5.06 crosses per 90, compared to Victor’s 2.42 in the 2020 season(he has not played yet this season), a massive difference that highlights this contrast. For added context, their heatmaps(from WyScout):
In the build up Vanderson stays wide, by the middle of the pitch, while one of the central midfielders joins the centre-backs to start the play, creating a 3–1 shape at the back. As the ball progresses Vanderson joins the attacking line while the right winger drifts inside attracting the opposing left-back and leaving some space for Vanderson to exploit, and here he excels. He is not particularly active in the build up, where the responsibility belongs mostly to the central midfielders, but is important recycling possession and often receiving when unmarked out wide and looking to progress the ball via passing exchanges with the attacking midfielder or right winger or with some progressive runs.
In the final third Vanderson is one of Grêmio’s main threats, be it with crosses, passes or runs. Frequently looking for crosses, his 5.06 crosses per 90 are a great weapon down the wing, especially so when considering a partnership with Diego Souza, the striker who has provided 28 goals last season while being really dominant in the air. However they’ve only started three matches together so far, as Diego, 35, is in the group of players who got some days of rest in the start of this season, still, this is definitely a partnership to look out for. In addition, his cut back passes have proved quite dangerous as well, creating a few opportunities, including one of his two assists so far, the other coming from a well-placed cross. His average of 3.91 passes into the penalty area and 1.19 shot assists per 90 look good as well. Moreover, his 3.34 dribbles and 1.72 progressive runs per 90 show another interesting side of his game.
Although very active in the attacking phase, he still lacks a bit of technical refinement. Often misplacing passes, or putting too much or too little power on the ball, when crossing or finishing. That does not hinder his game though, and it should not be long until he perfects it. Besides, a great upside in the technical side is his good use of his left foot.
As for the defensive part of his game, although not exceptional Vanderson has been quite solid. In Grêmio’s man-marking system, where he is normally paired to the opposing left-winger, thus far he has shown good awareness and anticipation, averaging 4.1 interceptions per 90.
One area he does have to improve is physically, having finished only four of the eleven games he started and suffering from cramps in his first ones. It is probably just a matter of time until he catches up though, and he is already showing improvements: in his first five starts he averaged 79.2 minutes per game, a number that rose to 86.8 in the following five, including two full games in the Copa Libertadores. And it is not uncommon to see academy graduates struggling with the physical side of the game in their first appearances. Therefore, this should not be a problem in the long run.
A classic brazilian attacking fullback, Vanderson, just 19, is quite the complete package and already looks like one of the best in the country. In him, Grêmio (and the Canarinho) have a fantastic asset: a great addition to the team and a likely high-value source of income. He surely looks destined for the top and probably won’t stay in Brazil for long. Keep an eye out.
Lucas Barth // barthlucast@gmail.com
